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Posts Tagged ‘Review’

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Review: Hine Antique Cognac XO

Posted by Arctic Wolf on September 30, 2018

Hine is one of the oldest Cognac Houses in the commune of Jarnac, (within the Cognac appellation in France of course). Hine has produced their Cognac since 1763.

Hine Antique XO Cognac is produced from a blend 40 Cognac spirits in the heart of France’s Cognac appellation on the banks of the River Charente. Recently the brand upgraded the blend such that every drop of Hine Antique is now distilled from grapes grown in the Grande Champagne cru. The Grand Champagne cru is the most recognizable Cognac region of France known for consistently producing high quality grape harvests. In addition, all of the eau de vie for this cognac blend have been aged a minimum of ten years which is four years longer than required by French law.

Here is a link to my review:

Review: Hine Antique Cognac XO

“… The initial nose is perhaps a tad restrained as scents of  oak spice and vanilla mingle within a fruited caramel aroma. As the glass breathes, I begin to notice a growing herbaceous quality with camphor, menthol and cinnamon weaving themselves into the lightly sweet caramel. Fresh fruit, (apples, pears and apricots) as well as a bits of raisin unravel into the breezes above the glass as well …”

Please enjoy my review, Chimo!

 

 

Posted in Brandy and Cognac Reviews, Cognac Review | Tagged: , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Hine Antique Cognac XO

Review: Captain Morgan Apple Smash (Flavoured Rum)

Posted by Arctic Wolf on September 28, 2018

A few weeks ago I was sent a bottle of Captain Morgan’s newest flavoured rum, Captain Morgans Apple Smash. The product was described to me as a gluten-free flavoured rum which arrives in a nifty scratch and sniff (apparently apple scented) round rum bottle similar to the bottle used for the previously released: Captain Morgan Loconut, and Captain Morgan Watermelon Smash Rums.

Apple Smash is bottled at 30 % alcohol by volume and was apparently is designed to be served as a chilled shot, mixed with cinnamon whiskey, or in a cocktail with ginger ale.

These new ‘shot style’ flavoured rums have been a bit of a hit or miss affair as far as my reviews have been concerned. I gave  Captain Morgan Loconut a big thumbs up with a score of 87/100; however Captain Morgan Watermelon Smash did not fare so well with a thumbs down score of 68.5/100. The only thing to do is to open my bottle, take a few sniffs and a few swallows, make a few cocktails, so I can report my feeling on the new Captain Morgan Apple Smash Rum.

Here is a link to my full review:

Review: Captain Morgan Apple Smash (Flavoured Rum)

“… Whether the flavoured rum inside the bottle receives a thumbs up or a thumbs down (or something in between) the bottle itself receives a huge thumbs up. It  is designed to resemble a green apple and if you scratch the surface of the label, it even carries a realistic green apple scent …”

I hope you all enjoy the review, and the suggested servings which follow, Chimo!

Posted in Flavouerd Rums, Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: , , , | Comments Off on Review: Captain Morgan Apple Smash (Flavoured Rum)

Review: Gordon and MacPhail Tomatin Distillery 2002 (Connoisseurs Choice)

Posted by Arctic Wolf on September 26, 2018

The Tomatin Distillery is located in the Monadhliath Mountains near Inverness, the capital of the Highlands of Scotland. The Distillery was established in 1897. (For those who do not know, the term “established in 1897″ is a code term which represents an acknowledgement by the distillery that the company began to legally pay taxes on the spirits it produced in that year. When the Distillery actually began to produces spirits is not acknowledged.) Because of its location in the Monadhliath Mountains, Tomatin is one of the highest distilleries (elevation wise) in Scotland at 315 metres above sea level. In 1985 as the Distillery was expanded and was at that time renamed, The Tomatin Distillery Co Ltd..

Gordon and MacPhail Tomatin Distillery 2002 (Connoisseurs Choice) is a Single Malt Whisky which was distilled in 2002 and bottled in 2016. It was matured in First fill bourbon barrels with no special finishing.

Here is a link to my latest Review:

Review: Gordon and MacPhail Tomatin Distillery 2002 (Connoisseurs Choice)

” …Moderately complex with oak and heather melding with almond, vanilla and butterscotch. A fruitiness is apparent with flavours of apricot and pears perhaps augmented by a light touch of cherry and raisin. As I found the dram on the nose, the flavours appear to coexist very nicely …”

Please enjoy my review of this wonderful offering from Gordon and MacPhail, Chimo!

Posted in Scotch Whisky, Whisk(e)y, Whisk(e)y Review, Whisky Review | Tagged: , , , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Gordon and MacPhail Tomatin Distillery 2002 (Connoisseurs Choice)

Review: Caribou Crossing Single Barrel Canadian Whisky

Posted by Arctic Wolf on September 23, 2018

According to the Sazerac website, their company is a direct result of the famous cocktail which bears the same name. It began in 1938 when Antoine Peychaud created a special drink for his guests to enjoy in the evenings at his apothecary in the French Quarter’s Royal Street. He would mix brandy, absinthe and a dash of his secret bitters for his guests. This special drink became quite popular and began to appear in the various coffee-house’ establishments in New Orleans. One such establishment, the Sazerac Coffee House became so popular serving their version of the drink (made with Sazerac de Forge et Fils Brandy) that it became known as the Sazerac Cocktail.

In 1869, Thomas H. Handy purchased the Sazerac Coffeehouse, and by the 1890′s the coffee-house and its growing business interests had become chartered as the Sazerac Company. Although, the company is based in New Orleans, its holdings include many of  North America’s most popular distilling companies, the Buffalo Trace Distillery, A. Smith Bowman, the Glenmore Distillery, and more.

Canadian whisky by volume is the best-selling whisky in North America. Despite the spirit’s obvious popularity, the perception of this class of whisky (among many spirits writers and whisky critics) is that the Canadian spirit was in the past thin and uninteresting. The landscape however, appears to be changing rapidly, especially at the premium end of the whisky market, where the Canadian spirit has seen strong growth in market share. Recognizing this trend, the Sazerac Company has recently made a push towards the premium end of the Canadian Whisky market with many new brands put forward over the past several years. Caribou Crossing is one such premium brand.

Caribou Crossing is what is known as a Single Barrel Whisky. From the company’s inventory of over 200,000 barrels of Canadian whisky, Sazerac’s whisky making team selects what they deem to be some of the very finest barrels. Each of these chosen barrels is bottled individually capturing its unique flavour. This means that each individual barrel offers a unique taste experience for the Canadian whisky connoisseur.

Here is a link to my recently revised review of this wonderful Single Barrel Whisky:

Review: Caribou Crossing Single Barrel Canadian Whisky

“… The lightly buttered mouth-feel gives the Caribou Crossing a little length in the exit featuring flavours of oak, corn and butterscotch which trail down the throat. After the whisky is swallowed, sweet honeycomb lingers on the palate and the glowing embers of disappearing rye spices leave their imprint …”

Please enjoy the review, Chimo!

 

Posted in Canadian Whisky, Whisk(e)y, Whisk(e)y Review, Whisky Review | Tagged: , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Caribou Crossing Single Barrel Canadian Whisky

Review: Smirnoff Moscow Mule

Posted by Arctic Wolf on September 21, 2018

The Moscow Mule is a popular vodka cocktail which mixes Vodka (often Smirnoff Vodka is called for specifically) and Ginger Beer with a small amount of lemon or lime juice. The origins of the cocktail are somewhat obscured with different ‘origin stories’ placing the first named ‘Moscow Mule’ in different locations ranging from Manhattan, New York to Hollywood, Los Angeles.

The most popular story is that in 1941, three friends, John A. Morgan, President of Cock ‘n’ Bull Products (know by his friends as Jack) which produced a brand name ginger beer (also the owner of the Hollywood Cock ‘n’ Bull Restaurant), John G. Martin, President of G.F. Heublein Brothers Inc. and Rudolph Kunett, President of Pierre Smirnoff (which was Heublein’s vodka division) were in the Chatham Hotel and they began to experiment with Morgan’s Cock ‘n’ Bull ginger beer and Kunett’s Smirnoff Vodka served with a twist of lemon juice. (source:New York Herald Tribune, 1948)

Whether it was introduced at the time, or the idea arrived afterwards, the Moscow mule quickly became associated with a unique serving vessel, a copper mug. The introduction of the copper mug is usually attributed to Russian immigrant, Sophie Berezinski who apparently arrived in North America with 2000 copper mugs which had been manufactured by her father in a copper factory in Russia known as the Moscow Copper Co.. She apparently walked into John Martin’s Cock ‘n’ Bull Pub in Los Angeles, where Jack Morgan and John Martin where either introducing the cocktail to the Sunset Strip (or perhaps this is really where the cocktail was invented) and the idea to serve the mixed drink in Sofie’s copper mugs was born (source: Moscow Copper Co – The Story of the Moscow Mule).

Recently, Smirnoff in a nod to its association to the original Moscow Mule, introduced their Ginger and Lime infuse Moscow Mule (flavoured vodka). According to the folks at Smirnoff the spirit (bottled at 30 % alcohol by volume) is a ready-to-mix combination of zesty ginger and tangy lime flavors which is meant to be mixed with ginger-ale (or ginger beer).

Here is a link to my full review of this new (and highly recommended ready-to-mix serving from Smirnoff:

Review: Smirnoff Moscow Mule

” … The lime and ginger infused vodka is not supposed to be sipped neat; but when I did so I was quite pleased with the lightly sweet lime and ginger flavour I encountered. I added a cube of ice and frankly I could sip and enjoy this rather easily …”

Please enjoy my review, Chimo!

Posted in Flavoured Vodka, Vodka, Vodka Reviews | Tagged: , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Smirnoff Moscow Mule

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